Mishimoto vs. Koyo
 

I would like to get your opinions on radiators for an S13 Blacktop SR Swap.

Please tell me which radiator you would go with, REGARDLESS of price, and the reason for your choice.

Thank you kindly!

Street or Race use?

I would go Koyo Copper for the street(stop and go) and Aluminum for race(constant airflow).

Regardless of price, I'd go with neither. Fluidyne, Griffen, or custom.

That being said, for my RB25, I bought a Mishimoto 3row.

yeah no shit fluidyne and griffen ftw...

PBM

It's even cheaper than the Mishimoto unit and PBM has amazing customer service (second hand knowledge).

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I have ran a Mishimoto for a year and a month (exact). About a month before I switched over to a Koyo Copper (as a replacement) the Mishimoto started slowly leaking fluid from somewhere on the bottom.

That slowly turned into a quickly which is why I replaced it.

Mishimoto does offer a 1-year NQA Warranty, but mine went out a month after the warranty expired.

That said.

I paid $185 for my Mishimoto, which is a hell of a deal over the Koyo.

with That said.

A friend of mine is running an ancient Aluminum Koyo and it's still going strong.

If I had to do it again I would have still gotten a Mishimoto.

Another friend of mine, a local shop owner, has been running Mishimoto on his KAT since they were released. The only thing that killed it was a head on collision about a month back.

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If money is no object get one of the Gucci radiators the other guys mentioned.

But if money is an object, I think you already know what to do.

z32 guys with 700+hp run with koyo's

I liked my koyo. I could daily drive it without fans with no problem. But Mishimoto isn't bad either. We can get both here at enjuku :)

And top-fuel drag racers run 4500+ hp with no radiator.

That doesn't make Koyo the end-all, be-all of radiators, just popular enough that people recognize the name.

i had a mishimoto in my old car liked it so much i bought another for my current project car

What's a radiator, is it like some kind of radiation protector.













koyo, works great in my s13 blacktop that gets really beaten up.

Im saying Koyo cause i had 2 and never did me no wrong havent really had a Mishimoto one

Koyo > Mishimoto because you can run stock an shroud w/koyo but not mishimoto

Yashio Factory FTW

i don't think it matters as long as the install is great and you don't half ass on anything.

Modified or unmodified?

You still have to shave it, which to me doesn't really make it an advantage.

Then again, I haven't run a clutch fan since 2004 or 2005 :keke:

ive had koyo for the last 2 yrs but no problem.

my mishimoto has been the shit since i bought it. always keeps my car's temps low. i have never owned a koyo so i cant really speak to its functionality. im sure the koyo is not a piece of shit

Weird man, I've got a Mishimoto with a stock shroud on it (S13 SR with S14 SR shroud in an S14). However, I guy that I sold my stock S13 SR shroud to said that it wouldn't fit his Mishimoto.

Why did I get a Mishimoto? I was desperate for a radiator, it was cheap, the sale guy on here was super responsive. Overall I'm pretty happy with it and would definitely buy it again.

Edit: I did not have to mod/shave anything on the fan shroud to make it fit.

Should have called them up. Same thing happened to me, leaking and about a month past the warranty expiration and they replaced it no problem. Just wanted some pictures of the leaking. Great customer service at Mishimoto!

That being said I run a Koyo now

i've got a mishimoto on my s13 with a ka and it f'ing rocks! doesn't over or under cool. works great and looks great. i bought it and their dual electric fan with shroud setup and am running/controlling it with the dif fan controller and it's perfect. fan's hardly ever kick on and when they do, it's for a short period of time. i also installed new ect sensors, nismo t-stat, nissan waterpump and poured in some water wetter for good measure/protection.
if i ever get to buy an s14, i'll do the exact same setup on it too. mishimoto's got a huge thumbs up from me.

Our warranty is lifetime, we would be happy to replace that radiator if you are still interested. Your shop owner friend's accident is covered under our warranty as well.

You can run a stock shroud with our rad...

wow, company representatives posting on the forums .. thats way cool!

Well we have to make sure our customers know about our warranty and fitment!

Thank you all for all of your opinions, this is very helpful seeing that I have one of each and trying to decide which to put into my S13 this upcoming weekend. The one I don't install, I will either hang on to for a spare, or use it in my next SR project car.

Wut? That's an EPIC warranty! I was going to buy a very crappy eBay radiator, but that one makes me want to go in your direction

mishimoto has a great warrenty, just had mine replaced because of manufacturing defects they handle their business very well

We stand behind our products 100%, and we are always here to help if you run into a problem.

:bigok: Thanks

a radiator is a radiator... it's not going to net you 10hp.

Just because it doesn't net power does not mean it isn't a vital part of the engine's functionality. They significantly reduce and regulate the heat that the engine creates so that it does not overheat and damage critical components during daily driving, drifting, time attack, or whatever else it is used for.

Plus, how many other manufacturers offer a warranty for the lifetime of their product? If you get into an accident on the street or track and damage your rad, will your current radiator brand sent you a replacement for free?

koyo N flow radiators actually cool better. you can see difference in water temp guage after changing from regular koyo radiator.